My pastoral training was missing a few practical elements. When it came time to do my first wedding and funeral I was flat-footed. I had never had a class on conducting these chapter-turning events. When put on the spot I struggled to recall weddings and funerals I had witnessed. I looked for scriptures, models and traditional scripts others had used to help me.

In time I found weddings and funerals some of the most meaningful moments in ministry. Both services were great opportunities to point people to God and his ultimate intentions for our lives. The joys of marriage point us to the ultimate union with Jesus, the heavenly Bridegroom. Funerals reminds us of His death, and resurrection, and the glistening hope we possess.

As Pam and I were reading in our Bible this morning we saw spiritual allusions to both wedding and funeral in Revelation.

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband…. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Rev 21:2-4).

We see from Scripture that A Wedding is coming. We also see that there is a New World Order where we will no long perform funerals.

There may come a time when you are asked to share at a wedding or funeral. Will you be able to toast the couple or comfort the bereaved? Will you be able to connect the events to ultimate things and our transcendent Heavenly Father?

In a movie or book you may see a scene where a friend has been killed and they have put the body in the ground. There is no pastor or priest but someone awkwardly, with hat in hand, says a few words of remembrance and a word of committal.  May you have the words in season for celebration and consolation.

Steven C Johnson

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